


Staying Together

by justanoutlaw



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Death, Gen, Grieving, Guardianship, Robin's Death, Sibling, Tumblr Prompt, Wicked Witch of the West | Zelena Bashing, mentions of assault, no happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-17
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2019-02-16 07:05:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 7,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13048995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justanoutlaw/pseuds/justanoutlaw
Summary: “Go ahead, leave. Don’t worry about coming back.”





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Prompted by queen-of-the-merry-men on Tumblr.

Roland missed the relationship he had with his baby sister. They were once so close and got along amazingly. Robin had been a surprise, for sure, a result of a one night stand of their single father. The woman had been in over her head and dropped her off on their doorstep when Roland was only 5. Robin Sr. had taken it well, he had debated changing the name Zelena had selected, but in the end, he enjoyed having a namesake. Robin and Roland grew up close, depending on each other when their father worked.

 

Their tiny family got even smaller when Roland was 19. The bar his father owned was robbed and he was murdered. He had no choice but to drop out of college and return to care for his baby sister. He had help from family friends, but he was mostly on his own.

 

The truth was, he was still a kid himself and he felt like he was screwing up with every turn. Robin was in mourning, pushing everyone away, her big brother included. She seemed to resent the fact that he was now her guardian. She was rebelling, hard. The year had been hard enough as it was. Roland was forced to sell his father’s bar, something both he and his late mother had built from the ground up, on top of losing him. He got a job working construction, trying to prove to social services that Robin could stay with him and not be put in the system.

 

Robin didn’t make that easy either. She would show up late to their interviews with their social worker, roll her eyes and cop a major attitude. After the third time, Roland had about enough.

 

“Do you realize what Helen’s job is?” He exploded once he had watched her car pull out of the driveway.

“To completely invade our privacy?”

“No! It’s to decide whether or not I can care for you and it doesn’t help when your school reports your ditching classes, talking back and overall being a terror.”

“That has nothing to do with you,” Robin replied with an eye roll.

Roland threw his hands up in the air. “Do you want to be in the system?”

“Why would you ask me that?!?”

“Because it’s how you act!” Roland sighed. “I’m trying here, Peanut, I really am. The fact is, I’m only 20.”

Robin’s lip jutted out a bit. “So…you’re leaving?”

“What?”

“Go ahead, leave. Don’t worry about coming back.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Roland stepped closer to her. “I am fighting so we can stay together, because that’s what Dad would’ve wanted. I know you’re going through a lot, I am too. Look, John suggested we go see Archie Hopper. He’s the town therapist, I think he could do some good…”

“I don’t need a shrink,” Robin bit back. “I don’t need anyone. I just want to be alone!”

 

She stormed up the steps, slamming the door shut behind her. Roland leaned against the door, burying his head in his hands. He knew she was grieving and that in time, she’d go back to the sister he knew.

 

In the meantime, he just felt stuck.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Listen, I’m sorry ok ? I made a mistake, a huge fucking mistake. "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompted by queen-of-the-merry-men on Tumblr.
> 
> Trigger warning: mentions of assault.

Robin didn’t go to Roland if she didn’t need to. The teachers calling him, her friends’ parents stopping by with their worry, the cops hauling her home after she got busted at a college party, that was all on them. She wasn’t one to open up to him willingly.

 

But now, she was scared, terrified. She found herself dialing his number and the words fell out of her mouth before she could help it.

 

“I need you.”

It was clear that Roland was off guard, groggy. “What? Robin, where are you? I thought you went to bed hours ago.”

“I snuck out.”

He let out an irritated sigh. “Robin…”

“Listen, I’m sorry okay? I made a mistake, a huge fucking mistake.”

That caught his attention. Her voice was different, desperate. He hadn’t heard this side of her in months. Roland knew that the mistake wasn’t just sneaking out of the house. “Where are you?”

 

Robin texted the address and waited. She half-expected him to not show up, a part of her figured she deserved it. She had been so awful to him over the past year, she was only coming to him now that she was in trouble. In her mind, it’d serve her right to have to deal with it alone.

 

15 minutes later, she saw his truck rounding the corner. Robin let out a deep breath, walking to it and climbing into the passenger seat. Roland took her in. Her shirt was ripped and she wasn’t wearing any shoes. Her blonde hair was a mess and she had definitely been crying. He hadn’t seen her cry since they got news of their father dying.

 

“What happened, Peanut?” His eyes glanced back to the house behind them, which was practically vibrating from the loud music blasting.

“I….I just came here with some friends,” her voice came out  small. “I started dancing with this guy…we were kissing…somehow we ended up in a bedroom…I told him I wasn’t ready…and…”

Roland’s muscles tightened. “And what?” There was a beat of silence. “What happened, Robin?”

“He didn’t take it well. He tried to force me.” Her arms folded over her chest, protectively. “I put up a fight and eventually the person throwing the party came in, threw him out.”

 

Roland relaxed, only slightly. A part of him wanted to tear the town in half, trying to find whoever had done this to her. Storybrooke was small, there was a chance that he’d be able to do it.

 

Then he looked down at her and she looked smaller, less tough than she had over the last year. He was reminded of when he first met her.

 

Roland had been at school when Robin had been left on their doorstep. He was picked up by his uncle John that afternoon and they had ice cream for dinner, watching movies until he fell asleep. The next morning, Robin Sr. had come by and explained that their family had grown a little bit. He explained that her mother wasn’t around, in a different way than Marian. Roland wouldn’t understand that part for a good few years.

 

When they got back to the house, however, he was greeted by their neighbor, Miss Mulan. She was holding a tiny baby, swaddled in pink. She was so small, she reminded the young boy of a peanut, which is where she got her nickname. His father had helped him hold her and told him that he was a big brother. Roland made a vow to protect the little girl, no matter what.

 

A vow he renewed when their father died and he felt like he was failing her.

 

“You didn’t fuck up,” he whispered, causing her to look up at him.

“If I hadn’t left the house…”

“It doesn’t excuse it, not for a minute. That guy had no right to try to take advantage of you. I’m proud of you for calling me, I know that couldn’t have been easy.”

 

He knew he should ground her, tell her that sneaking out was wrong, but she knew all of that. For once, he didn’t want to yell, he just wanted to comfort. The lecture could wait for when they weren’t as tired or shaken up from the turn of events. He remembered the time he snuck out, had one too many beers and got freaked out. His father had picked him up and hadn’t judged. Oh sure, Roland had been grounded, but Robin Sr. was good about all of it.

 

The drive back to the house was a quiet one. When they walked through the door, she clearly didn’t look ready for bed. He had an early morning, they both did. Yet, he knew she wouldn’t be sleeping.

 

“Movie night?” He suggested.

 

Robin nodded and the two headed into the living room.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompted by queen-of-the-merry-men: From that DimplesPeanut verse “I don’t care that it hurts, you’ve earned it."

Robin had never been to a funeral before, she didn’t know what the proper procedure was. It didn’t help that her first ever funeral was for her father.

 

She hated the dress she was wearing, Aunt Regina had been the one to pick it out for her since she refused. It was itchy and the stockings were pinching her skin. She thought back to when she was little, her dad tickling her feet when he helped her into them on the rare occasions she had to dress up. That made tears well up in her eyes, so she quickly blinked them away and pushed the thoughts out of her head.

 

Roland looked just as uncomfortable in his tux. Why did funerals require such proper attire?

 

She watched as her brother stepped forward, laying an arrow onto the coffin. Archery had always been their father’s favorite sport, both were taught how to do it from an early age. Robin took a few steps forward as well, following suit.

 

She hated this, she hated having to say goodbye.

 

It wasn’t supposed to be that way. It wasn’t supposed to happen when she was 14, over some guy who got a hundred bucks and an old watch. They still hadn’t caught the gunman and it was doubtful that they would, considering he was masked.

 

Roland wrapped an arm around her, kissing her temple. “It’s going to be okay, Peanut. We’re going to be okay.”

 

Peanut. The nickname he had given her when she was just a baby. It used to bring her such comfort, but all she wanted to do in that moment was punch him. How could he say it was going to be okay? Their father was dead and he was never coming back.

 

Robin didn’t say anything in return, she just pulled away and watched as her father’s friends laid down the rest of his arrows. Once that was done, the coffin was lowered into the ground, leaving them all just staring.

 

What now?

 

Roland cleared his throat, taking a step forward. His shoulder straightened and he did his best to smile. “If you’d please join us at the bar, we’ll be having some food and such...um…thank you for coming.”

 

Regina and Emma squeezed his shoulders, heading towards the car. Robin turned to follow her aunts, when she saw a glimpse of red hair from the back. She knew everyone at the funeral. Her father’s parents died when he was young and he was an only child, so his friends had become his family, his support system. Yet, she had never seen the red head before. She was towards the back of the crowd, staring intently at Robin.

 

She made her way through everyone, ignoring their condolences before she reached the woman. She saw her eyes, a certain blue that she had only seen once before. Her father had blue eyes, but Robin’s was always a few shades lighter. They were nearly identical to the woman standing in front of her. Blinking a bit, she thought back to when she had asked about her mother.

 

Robin Sr. had explained that while Roland’s mother had passed away, her own just wasn’t ready to be a mom. Sometimes it happened. He had promised that he would never be the same way.

 

(A promise he wasn’t able to keep.)

 

He had one picture, a polaroid he had taken from their night together. For the longest time, Robin had kept it under her pillow, until it hurt to see it. She realized that her mother would never come back and that holding on would do no good. Even so, she would know that face anywhere.

 

“Zelena,” she whispered.

“My little green bean,” Zelena said, her eyes sparkling with tears. “You’re…you’re so grown up.”

It was the exact wrong thing to say. “That’s what happens when you leave someone when their a baby.”

Zelena frowned. “Robin…”

“What are you doing here?’

“I heard about your father…I knew you’d be here…I figured it’d be a good a time as any.”

Roland walked up behind Robin, he had also seen the picture plenty of times. “You need to go, Zelena.”

“And you are?”

“Her older brother. I’m the one who’s going to be taking care of her.”

“Don’t you think that should be up to Robin?”

“I don’t need this right now,” Robin whispered. “You’ve had 14 years to come back and you choose the worst day of my life. I want nothing to do with you.”

“Wait, please…”

“No. I don’t care that it hurts, you earned it. I want you nowhere near my life. As far as I’m concerned, I’m an orphan now.”

 

She turned on her heel and stormed towards the car. A few minutes later, a hand fell onto her shoulder. She spun around and found Roland standing there.

 

“Why don’t we stop by the house before the wake, we can talk…”

“No.”

“Come on, Robin, I know that had to be a shock…”

“If I was going to talk about it with anyone, it sure as hell wouldn’t be you.”

“What did I even do?”

“Just leave me alone!”

 

Robin finished storming off to the car, effectively beginning the block between her and her brother.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Sometimes you have to think of yourself as a priority.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompted by queen-of-the-merry-men.
> 
> This verse is opened to prompts. :)

It isn’t obvious at first, but soon the signs are there: Roland was running himself into the ground.

 

He was working overtime, trying to finish the repairs on his latest project in time. The homeowners were getting more anxious by the minute. He was going as fast as he could, but with two other projects on the horizon and trying to prove to his boss that he was ready to take more things on, there were never enough hours in the day.

 

Robin was worried about her brother. A few months ago, she wouldn’t have cared if he was gone all day, every day. However, they were making a turn after the party. She knew he was trying and maybe she could too. After all, she hadn’t been the only one to lose her brother that night.

 

She couldn’t cook for crap, something she had inherited from her father. So, she headed to Granny’s and ordered Roland’s favorites and rented his favorite movie from the video store. She set everything up in the living room and waited.

 

And waited.

 

Before she knew it, she was waking up on the couch in the dark, the door slamming shut. The lights to the living room flickered on and Robin blinked to adjust to the light. Roland tilted his head, looking from the takeout containers to her.

 

“What are you still doing up, it’s after midnight.”

“I fell asleep waiting for you. I got you some dinner and rented your favorite movie, I thought we could make a night of it.”

Roland smiled softly, though he still looked confused. “Why are you doing this?”

“You’ve been working hard lately, I wanted to do something for you.”

“Well, I appreciate it.” He sunk onto the chair and picked up the now cold French dip sandwich.

“Why are you working so much?”

“Bills don’t pay themselves.”

“We don’t have to live here, you know. We could find an apartment…”

“Robin, this was Dad’s house. He bought it with my mom, it was their dream.”

“I’m sure it was also their dream for you to go to college.”

Roland shook his head. “Not now, my worry is about you being able to go in a few years.”

“Sometimes you have to think of yourself as a priority.”

“Now when did you get all so grown up and worldly?”

Robin shrugged. “I just know you gave up a lot to take care of me, it’s just time for you to do something for yourself.”

“I don’t have that luxury.”

“You could.” She stood up, stretching. “Look, maybe this house was their dream…but they’re gone. Maybe it’s time for you to plot a new dream.” She kissed his cheek. “I’m heading to bed, night.”

 

Roland sighed, watching her head up the stairs. His eyes flickered back to the table where he saw a course catalog for the nearest community college. He let out a slight chuckle, shaking his head.

 

Clearly, Robin wasn’t going to give up without a fight.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompted by @queen-of-the-merry-men: If you ever need another in verse prompt, you could try curious archer where Roland catches her with a girl in her room.
> 
> As always, prompts are open for this verse. :)

Roland threw his keys into the dish and began flipping through the mail when he heard some music coming from upstairs. That was odd…Robin said she wasn’t going to be home. It had been 2 years since their dad’s death and she was finally immersing herself in after school activities. She had taken up archery again and had joined a club for it. He was happy for her, things were really starting to turn around. He was taking a few night classes at the local community college and for the first time in a while, Robin seemed excited about her future.

 

Yet, it didn’t explain why she was home. He headed up the stairs and knocked on the door. There was no answer and he wasn’t surprised considering how loud the music was. Opening it, he walked inside and came to a halt.

 

Robin was sitting on her bed, making out with Alice Jones. She was the daughter of their new neighbor, Killian. A single dad who had befriended him despite their age difference.

 

Roland felt so confused. Robin had never mentioned anything about being into girls. Was Alice her girlfriend? Were they just fooling around?

 

Either way, it was clear they weren’t aware of his presence, so he reached over and shut off the blaring music. The two teenagers pulled apart quickly, blush spreading to their cheeks.

 

“Roland, I um, I thought you had class,” Robin stammered, her fingers shaking.

“Not until 7. I thought you had archery practice.”

“Cancelled, the instructor has the flu.”

“Oh.”

 

Alice looked between the two and rose to her feet, grabbing hold of her backpack.

 

“I’ll um…see you around. Bye Robin.”

 

She was out like a flash and Robin grabbed hold of her favorite plush monkey, holding it close to her. 16 and it brought her the comfort she needed. Roland softly smiled and sat beside her.

 

 

“So…you and Alice, huh?”

“It’s…new.”

“You still could’ve told me.”

“I didn’t know how you’d feel…about me being a…lesbian.”

“Why would this make me feel any differently about you? You’re the same Robin I’ve always known and loved.”

She looked up at him and for the first time in a long time, she seemed scared. “Are you sure?”

“Have you changed?”

“No.”

“Then you are.” He kissed the top of her head. “I love you so much, Peanut.”

“I love you too. Can you just not tell anyone? Alice isn’t out to her dad yet. She didn’t have the best reaction from her mom before they moved.”

“It’s fine. I’m just sorry you didn’t feel safe coming out to me.”

“It was nothing you did. I guess I just psyched myself out. It’s all new and kind of scary. I’ve never been in love before.”

“In love?”

“You make fun of me and you die.”

Roland chuckled. “Well look at my baby sister, growing up so fast and falling in love.”

“I’m not a baby anymore.”

“No matter what, you’ll always be my baby sister.”

 

She grinned up at him, resting her head on his shoulder. In time, hopefully her brother would find his own happy ending.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> queen-of-the-merry-men prompted: "Where the fuck did that baby come from?"
> 
> Takes place 15 years before the start of this story.

15 minutes ago, Robin was a single dad of one, heading to work.

 

Now, he was apparently a father of two and there was no way he was heading into work that day.

 

The baby wasn’t crying, she was pretty quiet…quite the contrast from how Roland had been.  


(Oh God, how was he supposed to explain this to Roland?)

 

Zelena was just supposed to be a one night stand. It was his first night out in forever and he had a few drinks with his buddies. The next thing he knew, they took a spin around the dance floor and were back at her apartment. They grabbed some breakfast the next morning, but that was that. Robin wasn’t devastated, she didn’t seem like soulmate material.

 

Then, she had just left this baby on his doorstep with a note saying that she couldn’t do it anymore. She had tried to make it work for 2 weeks, but she was tired.

 

Robin hadn’t lifted the baby from the car seat, not yet. He was terrified. What if this was all some trick? What if the baby was someone else’s? Zelena never seemed that responsible, could it really be true.

 

Yet, he couldn’t deny that she had his nose and his eyes. Leaning forward, he bent down and picked her up into his arms. She let out a soft noise before producing some spit bubbles. Robin had nearly forgotten how small a baby could be.

 

“You’re a quiet little one, aren’t you,” he whispered, bouncing her a bit. “I’m sure you’ll have me pulling out my hair soon enough.”

 

The door opened and a moment later, his best friend Will walked into the room. He nearly stumbled over his feet when he saw the sight before him.

 

“Where the fuck did that baby come from?”

“Oh, ya know, I’m just opening a daycare now.” Robin rolled his eyes. “What have I told you about cursing around here?”

“Roland’s not home and it’s not as if this one will be repeating me any time soon.” Will sat next to him, tilting his head. “Did Regina and Emma finally have another?”

“No, I think Henry’s about all they can handle for now. Do you remember that night almost a year ago? You and the guys took me out?”

“Oh yeah.” Will laughed. “You hooked up with that red head…” He trailed off and then winced. “No.”

“Apparently this is the result.”

“You didn’t use a condom?”

“I did. I guess it didn’t work.”

“Damn. She just left her with you? What did she say?”

“Nothing, she just left her on the porch and ran, she left a note behind.” He handed it over and Will scanned it.

“She named the kid, Robin? After you?”

“She wasn’t planning on telling me, she wanted her to have a piece of me, I guess.”

“Well…what are you going to do now?”

“Get a DNA test, but the timing does add up. She was born exactly 9 months after the night we hooked up, according to the birth certificate she left in the bag.”

“How are you going to tell Roland?”  


Robin bit his lip, adjusting the baby girl in his arms. He didn’t even date. Part of that was the fact that his heart was still with Marian, but the other came from his fear of explaining a girlfriend to Roland. If he wasn’t ready to explain a girlfriend, how was he supposed to explain a baby?

 

“I don’t know. I think I’ll have John watch him tonight, try to get some stuff together.”

“I’ll cover your shifts for the next few days.”

“Thanks, Will.” Robin briefly smiled.

Will shrugged. “We were all there for you when Marian died, this will be no different. And hey, congratulations.” He patted him on the back. “You’re a daddy again.”

Robin’s gaze went back down to his daughter, who had fallen asleep. “Yeah…I guess I am.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, prompts are accepted for this verse. :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompted by queen-of-the-merry-men: "Give me a break. I'm in the fucking hospital."
> 
> As always, prompts are accepted for this verse. :)

Robin hated hospitals after her father died. Every time she stepped into one, she was brought back to that awful night.

 

Police had shown up at their door, informing them of what happened to their father. They got a ride to the hospital and once there, they got to see him briefly before he went into surgery. It was a risky one, but without it, things would get worse. He had been unconscious when they said goodbye to him, but they were sure that it wouldn’t be the last time they saw him.

 

Until it was.

 

So, 2 years later after being in a car accident with her girlfriend, Robin wasn’t happy to be brought to one.

 

“I’m fine,” she tried to telling the EMT as he loaded her up into the ambulance.

“Miss, you can barely move your leg.”

“Some people do very fine on just one leg.”

 

The look he gave her was enough to shut her out. She supposed she should just thank her lucky stars that Alice was okay. She would’ve accompanied her to the hospital, but Killian arrived first and once she was cleared, he insisted she go home to rest. He promised he’d call Roland to meet her there.

 

The hospital always had a distinct smell. They clearly had to use a scentless cleaner, for allergies, but it still had somewhat of stench. It wasn’t bad, just overpowering, the kind that stuck in your nostrils for weeks. She could still smell it for at least a month after her father died. It was enough to make her avoid them like the plague if she could.

 

“Where is she?” She could hear Roland’s voice from behind the curtains 15 minutes later. “Robin Locksley the second!”

Robin tilted her head back and looked over at the nurse who was giving her some pain medication. “Can you kill me now?”

“Huh?”

“Never mind.”

 

The curtain was pushed back and he walked in, panic washed over his face. He ran to her side and examined her face, which just had a few minor bruises from where the airbag had deployed.

 

“Are you okay?!?” He asked. “I got the call from Killian…”

“I’m fine. They think I might have fractured my knee, it hit the dash before the airbag deployed.”

“How did this even happen?”

“Some idiot wasn’t paying attention, they admitted to be texting and driving.”

Roland’s muscles tightened and he started pacing. “Those people shouldn’t be allowed licenses, they should be in jail!”

“They were pretty banged up too.” He looked ready to hunt them down, but she held up a hand. “And you need to relax.”

“Give me a break, I’m in the fucking hospital because some asshole decided their Snapchat was more important than safety.”

“It was a text.”

He gave her a look. “Robin.”

“ _I’m fine_. They’re going to do X-Rays and at most, I’ll have a little physical therapy.”

“You could’ve died,” he whispered. “When I got that call…” His face was a mixture of anger, worry and pain.

Robin frowned. She realized if she had gotten the same, she’d be freaking out just as much. “But I didn’t, I’m fine. It’s not like Dad.”

Roland slowly nodded. “I’m gonna go find the doctor, you should get that X-Ray, ASAP.”

“Roland…”

“I’ll be right back.” He kissed her forehead. “Killian says he’ll bring Alice by to see you tomorrow, once you’ve both had time to rest.”

“Okay.”

 

She watched him scurry back behind the curtain and let out a sigh. After their father died, he went into protective mode, not worrying about himself. He kept suggesting she go see Dr. Hopper, but maybe he needed it just as much.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompted by Queen-of-the-merry-men: " If you tell me, I’ll still act surprised." If you could it with Henry, in the Staying Together verse I'd be so happy

Robin chuckled as his son bounced up and down. “Where are we going, Daddy?”

“You’ll see, it’s a surprise.”

“If you tell me, I’ll still act surprised.”

“Nope, you’ll see when we get there.”

He saw his son pout and smiled, helping him up into the car seat in the back. They were on their way to Emma and Regina’s. The two had been trying for a long time to have a child, but to no avail. Last weekend, they got a call about a baby boy in need of a home and jumped at the chance. They had to travel to California to get him and were just now coming back with him. Roland considered them his aunts and had been begging for a little cousin just as long as he had a baby sibling. And since the latter was probably never going to happen, this was going to be the next best thing.

Soon, he was pulling onto Mifflin Street and in front of the white mansion.

“This isn’t a surprise,” Roland whined. “It’s just Auntie Regina and Auntie Emma’s.”

“The surprise is inside, patience lad.”

The two headed up the steps and knocked. Emma answered, a huge smile on her face.

“Hey guys, come on in.”

“The surprise is in there?” Roland asked.

Emma nodded. “Yup, come on.” She lead them through to the living room, where Regina sat, holding a bundle of blankets. Roland rushed over and gasped.

“A baby,” he whispered.

Regina chuckled. “Yup. Roland, this is your god brother, Henry Daniel Mills.”

“He’s so tiny.”

“You were this tiny once.”

“No way.”

“Yes, way. I remember holding you after your mommy had you.”

“Can I play with him.”

Robin chuckled. “Not quite, bud. He’s still too small.”

Roland sighed but clambered up next to Regina and made funny faces at the baby. Eventually, Regina passed him over to Robin and he smiled down at him. It had only been 3 years since Roland was that small, but it felt like a lifetime ago. He missed this, the new baby smell and getting to watch every milestone.

But the truth was, the love of his life was Marian. His baby days were over until Roland made him a grandpa. He was fine with that, he had no regrets.

He just sometimes wished life could turn out differently.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompted by queen-of-the-merry-men on Tumblr: “I don’t like your boyfriend/girlfriend/partner/etc. I want to kill him/her/them.” From Robin to Roland.

Robin was trying to keep an open mind. She had pushed Roland to get out there and date, he hadn’t done it since their father died. So, when he brought Chloe home, she really did try to like her.

 

There was just one problem: Chloe had zero redeeming qualities.

 

She was always in a terrible mood and was always begging Roland to buy her things, to treat her to dinner. Even worse, Chloe clearly didn’t see the point in Roland raising Robin. She knew that they had plenty of options, why had he opted to step up and take the place of her guardian? Why did he insist on going to all of her archery competitions? She was an only child, with parents who traveled often. Clearly, family was not a priority to her.

 

An even bigger issue was, Roland had no clue about the second part. Robin would’ve been blind to it as well and just hated her for being a high maintenance bitch, but she had overheard her talking to one of her friends about it at the diner. Robin just walked away, knowing that a fight wouldn’t be worth it. However, after that day, she knew that she despised Chloe and wanted nothing to do with her.

 

What if she convinced Roland to abandon her? What if he did send her to live with Regina and Emma? She loved her aunts to pieces, but she loved living with her brother even more. They were all each other had. Sure, Roland was devoted to family, but Robin was getting older. As he was constantly pointing out, she’d be off at college soon.

 

So, she kept it to herself for the most part. Luckily, Alice listened to her constantly griping and sympathized, her father didn’t always pick the most family oriented women to date. Luckily, though, he’d always ditch them when he figured it out. Robin avoided Chloe by not being home when Roland took her out or whenever she’d come by to watch movies.

 

She thought her feelings about Chloe were secret, until her brother walked into her bedroom one afternoon.

 

“You left your Facebook logged onto my laptop.”

“Sorry,” she said, not looking up from the book she was reading. “Mine still isn’t back from the shop, must’ve forgotten.”

“I didn’t realize it was yours until I got a message and saw Alice laughing with the thing you last said.”

 

“Okay?”

“She was agreeing with you that Chloe could easily play Mrs. Hannigan in a production of Annie.”

Robin froze, then regained her composure and looked up at her brother. “She does resemble Cameron Diaz.”

“I wasn’t born yesterday, Robin. Why are you trash talking her?”

She sighed, getting up off the bed. “I hate your girlfriend,” she admitted. “I want to kill her.”

“But why? Chloe’s been nothing but nice to you.”

“To my face. She treats you like crap.”

“She does not.”

“Yeah, Roland, she does. Can’t you see that she’s using you? She makes you take her out to fancy restaurants and gets mad if you can’t.”

“She’s just used to nicer things. Her family’s rich.”

Robin rolled her eyes. “And this is why I didn’t tell you about this.”

“I think you’re just jealous. I have another girl in my life, but I promise you’re not being replaced.”

 

Oh, little did he know…

 

But if Roland couldn’t even see that Chloe was treating him like crap, what were the odds that he was going to believe her?

 

“Screw you,” she said, grabbing her backpack. “I’m going to Alice’s.”

“It’s almost 8.”

“Oh well.”

 

The next few days were a callback to the ones after their father died. Robin wasn’t talking to Roland, he was frustrated with her. She hated that it had to be that way, but Roland needed to learn the truth about Chloe on his own.

 

Much to her surprise, Roland showed up at the Jones’ house on Saturday night. Robin had been hiding out there again and was waiting on Alice to come home from work. She quickly walked onto the porch when she found him on the other side, folding her arms over her chest.

 

“What are you doing here?”

“Why do you really hate Chloe?”

“I told you, she treats you like crap.”

“There’s more to it, isn’t there?”

“No.”

“You mean you didn’t overhear her saying that me being your guardian was the worst mistake of my life?”

Robin stuck her hands in her pockets, looking away. “She told you she said that?”

“No, Granny saw us together and chewed me out for still dating her after she said such things. She figured you told me.”

“Look, you didn’t believe me that she was treating you like garbage. Why would you believe me about the other stuff?”

“It’s not that I didn’t believe you.” He sighed. “I just didn’t want it to be true. I…I really liked her and I wanted to think that she felt the same way.”

“Yeah, well, I wish she did.”

“I would’ve broken up with her sooner if you had told me.”

“That would mean making you choose.”

“Yeah, so?”

“So, maybe I didn’t know who you’d pick.”

Roland’s mouth dropped open. “You honestly don’t know?”

“I didn’t want to.”

He sighed. “Peanut.”

 

She was caught off guard by him suddenly pulling her into his arms. It had been weeks and she had missed it. Slowly, she wrapped her arms back around him.

 

“I would never pick another girl over you.”

“Really?”

“It’s us against the world, kid. Always and forever.”

 

She let out a small sigh, nodding. She had lost too much in her life, she couldn’t lose her big brother. Lucky for her, he wasn’t going anywhere.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, prompts are welcome for this verse. :)


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompted by anonymous on Tumblr: “Quit trying to fix me when you need to just fix yourself.” Roland overhears Robin fighting with her girl friend in the Staying Together verse.

Robin knew that she wasn’t one to give advice about mothers, after all, she never had one herself. The closest thing she ever had was her aunts, but that didn’t count, not really. Alice had a mother, she wasn’t a good one, but she had one nonetheless. When Alice had come out to her, Eloise hadn’t taken it well in the least. She had said that she’d rather have no daughter than one that was gay. It didn’t matter much to Alice at the time, Eloise had never been around much when she was growing up. Much like Robin, she had been raised by a devoted single father. One that she was lucky enough to still have.

 

Now Eloise wanted to meet up with Alice and Robin made the mistake of saying she didn’t think it was a good idea.

 

“What do you mean?”

“She’s homophobic, for one.”

Alice sighed. “I know, but she’s still my mom, Robin.”

“And what does that mean? You punched Malcolm for calling you the d word.”

“She’s my mother.”

“She doesn’t deserve to have you in her life. From what you said, even before you came out, she wasn’t there for you.”

“Well, it’s not your choice!” Alice exploded. “It’s mine!”

Robin ran her fingers through her hair. “I know. It’s just…”

“Just because you don’t want anything to do with your mom, doesn’t mean that I’m wrong for not wanting anything to do with my own. Quit trying to fix me when you need to just fix yourself.”

 

Robin’s eyes widened and Alice bit her lip, clearly realizing that her words were a mistake.

 

“Look, I just mean that you have issues with your own mother…”

“I know I do,” she said quietly. “Look, do whatever you want.”

“Robin…”

“I’ll see you later.”

 

That was as close as she could get to kicking Alice out of the house. Her girlfriend sighed, walking out the door. Robin leaned against the wall, shutting her eyes.

 

“You wanna talk about it?”

Her eyes flickered back open and she found Roland standing there. “How much of that did you hear?”

“Enough of it.” He walked closer to her. “I don’t think she meant it the way you think.”

“I know how she meant it. It’s just…I don’t want anything to do with Zelena.”

“And that’s okay.”

“Eloise has done far worse to Alice. How can she want anything to do with her?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “But, you have to let her make her own mistakes. You can’t save everyone.”

Robin flinched at the thought of that. “I love her. I don’t want her to get hurt.”

“Sometimes you can’t prevent that. All you can do is be there for her. If shit hits the fan, and from what I’ve heard about Eloise…it will, just be there for her.”

 

Robin nodded, trying to absorb it all. Roland couldn’t help but smile, thinking about something Will often said, sometimes they were too much like their father for their own good. Robin Sr. had wanted to fix everything he could, help anyone in their time in need. However, sometimes all that good, could lead to trouble.

 

As if Roland could predict the future, things with Eloise did not go so well. Alice had showed up on the Locksley’s doorstep after their coffee date and didn’t even have to say anything. Robin wrapped an arm around her, leading her inside and settling on the couch where they had a horror movie marathon, devouring tons of junk food. Roland watched on from the doorway, an extreme feeling of pride in his bones.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompted by anonymous on Tumblr: A Single Yellow Rose - “You bring joy to my life” “Let’s be friends” Staying Together verse, Alice/Roland.

Roland paced the living room, trying to keep the negative thoughts out of his head. Today was a happy day, it was one that every high schooler dreamed of at one point or another. His sister was thrilled, she was going with her girlfriend of 3 years (how she and Alice had made it so long was a mystery to him). She was upstairs with their aunts, Roland had been kicked out of the room when he suggested that Regina was putting a bit too much eyeliner on her.

 

Despite how happy everyone was, he couldn’t help but wish that his father was there. Robin Sr. had probably more excited than he was for his prom. He took him tux shopping and helped him with his tie. His date wasn’t exactly a soulmate, just the current girlfriend he had at the time. Yet his father beamed proudly as he and Danielle walked out the door, he had waited up for him to return from his after party. He was slightly buzzed and his dad had playfully chastised him, but was glad that he hadn’t drank and driven.

 

Now, he wouldn’t be there for Robin’s. It was hard to think that in a few weeks time, he wouldn’t be there for her high school graduation.

 

Quickly shaking it off, he heard the door open and a moment later, Alice was in the house. She was wearing a beautiful blue dress with bits of red here and there. Roland gave her a soft smile.

  
“Where’s your dad?”

“He’s instructing the limo driver to be careful with us and threatening that if anything happens to us, he’ll kill him.”

Roland chuckled, shaking his head. “You’ve got a good dad.”

“Yeah.” She smiled. “Robin’s still getting ready?”

“My aunts have taken over and I think it’s best that way.”

Alice giggled. “They offered to help me get ready, but I declined. I’m not that into makeup, this is the first time I’ve worn a dress since…well, I don’t even remember.”

“They can be a bit much, but they just do it out of love. I think they just try to make up for the fact that we don’t have our dad anymore.”

“Right.” Alice bit her lip. “As embarrassing as he is, I can’t imagine how hard all of this is on the two of you. Yet, you’re so brave.”

“I don’t know about that.”

“I do. You gave up your life to take care of Robin. You waited to go to college, heck it wasn’t even until this year that you got a serious relationship. I don’t know that I could’ve lived through all that.”

“Well, I do think you’ve played a role in that.” He chuckled when she tilted her head. “You don’t realize how much you’ve helped Robin. She went through a really dark period when our father died, she lashed out, she was really depressed. She was doing better when you two met, but I definitely think that coming out helped her. Being with you…it’s made her so happy. I don’t think I could’ve asked for a better person for my sister. You’ve brought so much happiness to my life and to hers.”

Alice’s smile widened and she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. “Well, I never had a brother before…but now I feel like…well at least I have a new friend.”

“I’d say we’re more than friends, you’re a part of this family, Al.”

 

The door opened and Killian walked in, interrupting the sweet moment. A little bit later, Regina and Emma came down the stairs, wiping their own tears, clearly emotional over their goddaughter’s big day. Soon, Robin was walking down the stairs, biting her lip. She had opted for a black dress that sparkled when the light it hit it. She knew all eyes were on her, but her first stop was Alice.

 

“You look beautiful,” she whispered.

“So do you.”

 

They exchanged corsages (Alice’s was a white rose, while Robin’s rose was yellow, which happened to compliment her dress) and a kiss. Alice turned to her father, while Robin quickly hugged her aunts and went over to her brother.

 

“Wow, you’re so grown up,” he said, a hint of nostalgia in his voice. “It seems like just yesterday you were begging me to play tea party with you.”

Robin chuckled. “Yeah…a lot of time sure has passed.”

“I wish Dad could be here.”

“He is, in his own way.”

 

She reached into her purse and pulled out a picture. It was the last photograph that had been taken of the three of them, his arms around both of his kids, that infamous smile on his lips. Roland grinned, tracing his father’s face.

 

“Always protecting us.”

“Always. We better get going, we have to pick up some people on the way.”

“Right. Just be careful, don’t drink and if you do, don’t drive.”

“That’s what the limo’s for, Ro.” She kissed his cheek. “Love you.”

 

With that, she linked arms with her girlfriend and they headed out the door.


End file.
